Former Meta Employees Sue Over AI-Driven Layoffs Ignoring Protected Leave

Twenty-six former Meta employees have filed a lawsuit claiming that the company used biased artificial intelligence systems to determine layoffs during its recent reduction of about 8,000 jobs in May 2026. The plaintiffs argue that the AI tools failed to exclude workers who were on approved medical or family leave, or who had disabilities, thus disproportionately targeting them for termination. Meta denies these allegations, stating that all personnel and organizational decisions were made by humans and that the lawsuit lacks merit.

According to the lawsuit, Meta employed a combination of AI systems, including an internal AI assistant called Metamate, "second brain" agents trained by employees, AI token usage dashboards, and monitoring of keyboard strokes and activity. These tools were used to rank employees based on performance, productivity, and their engagement with AI technologies. However, the plaintiffs contend that the system did not account for legally protected absences, such as those under the Family and Medical Leave Act and California state laws, which prohibit considering such leave in employment decisions.

The former employees seek a court injunction to halt the layoffs until an independent review of the AI-based selection process is conducted. Due to Meta's employment contracts, the plaintiffs also plan to pursue arbitration. This lawsuit follows earlier reports from April 2026 that Meta collected detailed employee activity data, including keystrokes and mouse movements, to train AI, raising privacy concerns and leading Meta to suspend the program after private chats and transcripts were improperly accessible to other employees.